Braid
by pinkish-red hearts
Summary: Brienne's hair is long and Jaime and his daughter braid it. Post-Canon


**Author's Notes: Some canon fluff. Not sure if book or show verse but I'm publishing it in book.**

 **Published last September 2017 on my ao3.**

* * *

The morning light shone in the chambers for an hour already but the Lord and Lady Lannister had yet to get out of bed. Jaime and Brienne weren't as vigorous as they were when they first wed but the couple found that they liked holding each other just as much as they liked fucking as soon as they woke.

"Your hair is long," Jaime noted, twirling a few of Brienne's platinum long platinum strands.

Her hair was past her shoulders already. An inch or two more and it would cover her breasts. Brienne eventually thought it tedious to have to cut her hair almost monthly and decided to just leave it as it is. She sparred less than she used to anyway since being Lady of Casterly Rock and Tarth shifted her priorities drastically.

"Does it bother you?" Brienne asked warily.

"No," Jaime replied, quickly and firmly, noting the insecurity creeping up her voice. "And even if it does, I have no say on how you want to look."

"As if my hair would make me any prettier," Brienne muttered without thinking.

"Brienne..." Jaime sighed, his fingers leaving her hair to grasp her chin. He forced their eyes to meet.

Brienne quickly intercepted his words. "I know. I know."

Jaime always made her feel beautiful despite never saying she was, but sometimes her insecurities about her looks flared up. Jaime hated it when it does.

"Shall I remind you how much I love you?" Jaime said, his green irises thinning as his pupils grew. He threw his leg over her hip and started rubbing himself against her. They were both still in their nightgowns but they know they were going to get out of it soon. They both moaned as his cock stirred against her hip.

Before Jaime could get to his full hardness, their door slammed open. They barely registered the small person rushing towards them and climbing on the bed until said person straddled Jaime's side.

"Good morning!" the small person chirped.

"Joanna," Jaime wheezed as his daughter of six began bouncing on his waist.

With a chuckle, Brienne carefully placed her hands on their daughter's hips to still her. "Your father is old, Joanna," Brienne said teasingly. "He's going to break a hip."

Brienne sat up to remove their daughter from her father's side and placed her between them. Joanna pouted. The girl got most of Brienne's looks down to the blue eyes, much to Jaime's pleasure, but her temperament and pout was definitely her father's.

"You were going to break mine earlier, wife, but I suppose our daughter wanted the privilege," Jaime retorted once he sat up.

"I just want to ride father," Joanna huffed, crossing her arms. It might have been an innocent enough statement had she not said the next words. "Everyone says you ride him every night, mother. I wanna ride father, too!"

Brienne turned almost purple as Jaime burst into laughter. The wife had to slap her husband when she noticed their daughter pulling off a curious face.

"My little lioness, don't you think your mother's hair is beautiful?"

It was a tactic they learned when Joanna was venturing into territory they're not ready to explain yet. The girl's attention was easy to divert.

"Very much!" Joanna agreed enthusiastically. "Septa Elaine taught me how to braid. May I braid your hair, mother?"

Brienne nodded and ordered Joanna to get the hairbrush from the dresser. The girl obeyed eagerly. It was one of the things Jaime and Brienne vowed to teach their children: independence. Both being soldiers who had traveled without much aid and comfort, they wanted to pass that value on. To not rely on servants in everything.

As soon as Joanna got the hairbrush, she climbed back on the bed. Brienne sat on the edge of the bed with her back to her husband and child.

"Father sit behind mother," Joanna ordered and Jaime happily complied.

"She's so demanding like you," Brienne commented.

"Nah. She got that bossiness from you," Jaime protested.

"You can help me brush mother's hair, father," Joanna commanded, handing her father a brush as she made herself comfortable on her father's lap. Luckily his manhood had softened during the arrival of their daughter.

"Of course, my lady," Jaime replied, holding his laughter. She already sounded so much like a lady much to his amusement. But Jaime also swelled with pride. His own daughter trusted him with a task involving his hand. Joanna was never repulsed by the fact that Jaime was a cripple. She knew that her father lost that hand to save her mother and she loved him for it.

As if Joanna read his thoughts, she grabbed his right arm and wrapped it around her tiny waist. The father kissed the top of his daughter's pale head before beginning his task.

Jaime was more used to his left hand now so he wasn't as clumsy or awkward. He started brushing at the tips, slowly working through the knots and only working upward when he's certain the lower section isn't tangled anymore. Joanna was impressed.

"You're so good at brushing hair, father," the child gasped. "Where did you learn that?"

"I used to brush your aunt's hair when we were kids," he answered.

Brienne turned around to look at Jaime. He gave her a nod and a small smile to tell her he was fine. Hesitatingly, she turned back.

He still thought of his dead sister sometimes. At best, he would think of her in fondness when she was still his sister. At worse, she stirred guilt, of not being a brother to her and not stopping her and himself from turning into a monster.

 _That is all in the past_.

Besides, he would've married some boring lady if things hadn't turned out that way. He couldn't imagine his life without Brienne.

"Jaime, are you okay?"

He hadn't realized his movements ceased until Brienne was clasping his only hand. He looked up and his wife's eyes were bright with worry.

"Just thinking about how blessed I am to be your husband."

At that, her eyes softened while her cheeks pinked. He was greeted with a shy smile. Jaime loved coaxing out a scowl from her but he loved making her smile more. The first time he had seen it, he was immediately addicted to it.

"Me, too," she replied.

Their daughter frowned though, oblivious to her parents' happiness.

"But you haven't finished untangling mother's hair yet!" she protested and they broke off their gaze with a fond chuckle. Jaime continued brushing her hair.

"Oh Joanna," Brienne sighed as she turned around. "When you find a man who captures your heart—"

"I'm keeping you away from boys for as long as I can," Jaime muttered. They knew Joanna was going to wed for alliance eventually but they swore that they would do a background on the man before wedding her. They will at least find her a husband who wouldn't mistreat her, politics be damned.

"I will strike them with my dagger if they go near me," Joanna announced boldly. Much to the displeasure of most of their court, they made their daughter learn how to wield a weapon. It wasn't because they wanted to challenge the norm but because they wanted their daughter to defend herself if she ever found herself without help. Fortunately, Joanna was an eager learner despite her impatience.

"She's so you," Jaime commented. "Making me fight for your hand, wife."

"I most certainly did not. You were the one who _insisted,_ " Brienne replied matter-of-factly. Jaime smirked at the memory.

"I did not say what kind of fight happened," Jaime teased. He probably felt more than saw Brienne blush. There had been a lot of kissing involved in his courtship.

"Only dad and my brother and Uncle Tyrion, too, can go near me," Joanna cut in.

"Perhaps you do need to see more boys, my little lioness," Jaime murmured. He knew firsthand the impact of having few friends outside the family. Still, Jaime would watch his daughter or have a trusted guard with her if he and Brienne were away.

"I'm never getting married!" their daughter announced.

Brienne thought of Lady Arya who had said the same thing long ago, during a time when the Wall hadn't fallen yet. It was after a sparring session and Lady Arya had asked why Brienne wasn't wed.

 _Nobody is worthy,_ Brienne had answered. Of course, Jaime had popped out of her mind then proceeded to immediately crush that once seemingly impossible dream.

Lady Arya had shared her sentiment. Men liked women who are submissive, delicate, and obedient. They didn't want women like Arya and Brienne who were anomalies of the female society with their preference for weapons to ribbons, which wouldn't even suit their nest of a hair.

At the time, they seemed resigned on remaining an unmarried maid and die with a weapon in hand until Jaime and that smith that looked like the ghost of Renly entered Winterfell. Hope had swelled in their chests.

A few weeks ago, Brienne had received a letter from Riverrun (the new seat of power of the Starks after Winterfell was destroyed during the war) and Lady Arya was expecting her first child after her two years of marriage with the Baratheon bastard.

Both Arya and Brienne didn't expect that unusual women like them would find true love. Brienne hoped the same for their daughter but she's glad she wasn't thinking about that just yet. If Joanna will do what Brienne had done in her youth and run away to be with a boy (even if Brienne had her father's permission and only to be said boy's Kingsguard, not lover), she was certain her already pale hair will turn into the long night, especially knowing Jaime would probably foolishly challenge the boy to a duel.

"Yank harder, my cub," Jaime said before Brienne felt her hair pulled to the point of pain. She growled at the assault on her scalp.

"Just checking if you're still alive, wife."

Brienne rolled his eyes at his snicker, then, smiled as he instructed Joanna on how to make her braid better.

"Did my aunt have pretty hair like mother's?" Joanna suddenly asked.

Brienne wanted to see if Jaime was okay but she didn't want to disturb their current activity.

"Her hair was different," Jaime answered rather carefully. "She had hair like mine."

Joanna made a noise of disgust. "Your hair has a lot dead gray strands, father. It's ugly."

Jaime only laughed at her daughter's honesty.

"Bold and blunt. Have you somehow sired this daughter without my seed, wife?"

"Like you aren't like that," she shot back. "She's yours as much as mine."

Jaime snorted. "I'm relieved."

It was teasing but Brienne can't help but note the vulnerability of his tone. She knew Jaime wasn't without insecurities. He was much older than her, a cripple, and still had quite a reputation and a past that made him feel unworthy of her.

But he was worthy.

She believed in his honor and goodness.

She believed in his love.

"Joanna, do you have a blue ribbon with you?" Jaime asked. Brienne's back felt airy which meant they were done.

"Of course! Blue is my favorite color!" Joanna piped.

"Me, too, cub."

It was only Jaime's favorite color because it matched Brienne's and their daughter's eyes.

Jaime let Joanna tie the ribbon. Then the two excitedly urged Brienne to look at the mirror. She did as asked and stood in front of the dresser.

The braid wasn't as neatly done as the handmaidens would do and it was puffy at some areas but the intricacy of the braid was something not most men or children were familiar with.

"What do you think?"

A reflection of Jaime carrying Joanna appeared beside her in the mirror.

"Passable. I think I can wear it when I spar."

"Is that a good thing?" Joanna asked.

"It's not a bad thing," Jaime answered and Brienne kissed the child's cheek as an added assurance before thanking her. The girl grinned with pride. She had Jaime's dimpled smile.

Joanna stretched her arms toward Brienne and Jaime handed her over to his wife.

"Mother, can I get a sister this time?" Joanna pleaded as if were asking for a toy. Jaime shot Brienne a knowing look and her cheeks heated in response.

"I want three of them," Joanna continued, not noticing her parents' exchange of glances. "I know Gall is still a baby and he's a boy but if you can braid, father, he can, too. I'll teach him. And mother and me and Gall can braid all three sisters. Father can brush and watch us if we do something wrong."

"How does three more sound, wife?" Jaime asked, grinning.

"I _just had_ Galladon!" Brienne shrieked.

Jaime ignored her. "It depends if your mother will ride me tonight, sweetling."

"Jaime!"

Joanna innocently waved it away. "As long as I get a sister."

Before Jaime could tease Brienne further about it, there was crying heard from the other side of the door, followed by a knock.

"Come in!" Brienne ordered, putting Joanna down and moving to the bed to ready herself for the fourth Lannister.

The door was already left ajar so the door groaned further to open. The wet nurse entered with a wailing baby swaddled in white cloth.

"Why is Gall so loud?" Joanna complained.

"What are the words of House Lannister?" Jaime asked his daughter.

"Hear me roar."

"That's your brother roaring."

"It doesn't sound very mighty," Joanna muttered.

They watched as the wet nurse handed the baby to Brienne. Lady Lannister dismissed the nurse. She felt like feeding Galladon herself. She waited for the nurse to close the door before revealing her breast, which had grown larger since she had Joanna. The baby stopped crying as soon as his lips touched her nipple.

Father and daughter joined mother and son as Galladon suckled eagerly. Jaime and Joanna conspired on a little surprise and they made their way to either side of Brienne.

"One..." Jaime mouthed to his daughter. "...two ...three..."

They assaulted one of each of Brienne's cheeks with a long lingering kiss and Brienne couldn't help but laugh.

"What was that for?" Brienne asked.

"Because father and I love you," Joanna said.

"Very much," Jaime added.

Brienne nearly cried but then Galladon stopped suckling. She pulled up the neckline of her shirt and snuggled her son close to her chest. Meanwhile, Joanna crawled in front of Brienne and burrowed herself against her father. Jaime, then, scooted closer to his wife and rested his head against her shoulder. Somehow, Brienne's eyes caught the dresser mirror.

Tears fell from her eyes.

"Mother?" Joanna croaked.

Jaime sensed her mood shift and began to remove his head from her shoulder but Brienne stopped him.

"Just look at the dresser," Brienne said and all Jaime needed to do was a slight tilt and he saw it, too.

 _My wife. My children. My family._ Jaime thought as tears pricked his eyes as well. He never thought he'd ever have this. More than half his life, Jaime thought all he'll ever have is love behind closed doors and children that would only be his King. He let out a shaky breath as a tear or two escaped.

"Mother, why is Galladon's hair more yellow than ours?" Joanna asked, breaking the moment.

"That's what your father's hair looked like when he was younger," Brienne answered.

"Oh... your hair is much prettier when you were younger, father," Joanna said.

Jaime only gave a fond huff in response. Still too overwhelmed with emotion to even react.

"If I had a sister, will her hair be like yours or mother's?" Joanna inquired, drawing silly patterns on her baby brother's head.

"It depends," Brienne answered tiredly. She loved Joanna very much but she did get tiresome with her endless questions sometimes.

"So, when can I have a sister?" Joanna asked.

"Not soon I hope." It's been four moons turns since Galladon was born and Brienne had been worn out a lot. "Besides, it could be a brother."

"Boy or girl. Whatever color is the hair. I will love my brother or sister just as much as I love Gall," Joanna declared and Brienne proudly beamed at her.

Beside Brienne, Jaime suddenly stirred.

"Brienne..." Jaime said, sitting up properly to look at her. "When was the last time you had your moon blood?"

 _Oh_.

Her mind was in other things and she was tired a lot that she didn't even notice the passage of time since her last moon blood.

"We need to find a maester," Jaime breathes.

"Is mother ill?" Joanna asked, concern wide in her blue eyes.

"No," Jaime replied. "But you might just get one of the three siblings you want to braid."


End file.
